9.3.05

And my dream chattered into a million shards

What pains me most is that we all had this perfect chance to unite, a chance to build our country on sound basis. For throughout the short history of Lebanon our sectarian cohabitation was always doubtful, everybody was just waiting for the other side to show signs of so called “treason” to start getting help themselves from the outside as a response to the other side betrayal. Unfortunately Lebanon used, and to some extent, still have two main factions the Christian side and the Muslim one. Usually the Muslims side got help from Arab world and more especially Syria. Whereas, the Christians got help from the west or Israel. However this is not a sacred rule. The powers helping the Lebanese factions switched sides with the whims of international geopolitics and grater nations’ interests. Usually we, alone ended up paying the price. Like in 1976, when the Syrian army entered Lebanon to help the Christians against the Muslim-Palestinian alliance, then a few years later the Syrians switched sides and attacked their formers allies (the Christians) With the death of Hariri I hoped beyond reason, beyond hope even. That this time we, all of us Lebanese, we will agree once and for all to live united in our country in peace and accept to cohabit in the same definit country that is both part of the arab world and of the west. A unique bridge in a world that dearly needs such bridges. What a naïf idealist I was… The first chance it got - while Hariri assassination was still a mere three weeks behind us- Hezbollah betrayed us all. Hezbollah betrayed Lebanon, betrayed its people – most of the Shiia Muslim faction- and betrayed itself. Why Hezbollah did that… Forever I will ask that question. Many answers arise. Out of allegiance to Syria and Iran – Hezbollah has been the backed finacilly and military by Iran and Syria in its mini-war with Isreal on Lebanon south -, or out of fear of disarmament. No matter Hizbollah choose to side with Syria against the rest of the Lebanese.Even though the opposition tried everything to convince Hezbollah’s leader to join them. The opposition offered to postpone Hezbollah disbarment till after the election and after a national dialogue. The opposition agreed with most of Hizballah conditions and demands, asking just that Hezbollah proves its patriotism and joins its fellow Lebanese. They were rebuffed. Just after the speech of Syria’s president Bashar - a mediocre speech given by a mediocre man while he laughed and joked in front of his puppet parliament members, which clapped in unison like schoolboys at his feeble jokes. In a time when the fate of two countries hung on his words and actions- Hassan NassraAllah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah choose to commit himself to the Syrian side. For Hezbollah have been sitting on the fence for a while now. Even before Rafic Hariri’s assassination. Hope blossomed that our unity will be total that all sects all Lebanese will join our side … but no Hezbollah choose to join Syria’s side. Choose to bring old division back. Choose to draw the line again in the sand. This time the factions have changed a bit, but no matter the slogan are still the same. Hezbollah announced it loud and clear. “We are the true patriots; we are Arabs and will defend the Arab world while the opposition are traitors, trying to make a peace agreement with Israel.” The old deadly accusation has surfaced again. It matters not if the Palestinian themselves are on the way to make peace with Isreal. It matters not that halve the arab countries have relations with Isreal, that we are sick and tiered of war and the endless killing. All what matters is that they rule. Rule absolutely with no opposition. Syria and its proxy Hezbollah are even willing to rule over ruins. And if they are obliged to get out of Lebanon, by the effort of the international community they will leave ruins behind. For Bashar Assad told the late Prime minister Hariri : “ Tell your friend Chirac- the French president who was a close friend to Hariri - that if he want us to leave Lebanon, we will leave it but we will burn it. Just like how we burned it in the past…”